Class: Grade 8, General Science Unit: Volcanoes Topic: Hawaiian Volcanoes
Instructional Objectives:
Define hotspot and explain how the island chain of Hawaii was formed.
Debunk Hawaiian myths by applying what we have learned about volcanoes in this unit.
Write a Hawaiian myth using scientific facts they have learned about volcanoes.
Introduction:
To wrap up our unit on volcanoes, I created this fun lesson about the Hawaiian volcanoes. Since students enjoy learning when they feel that it applies to the outside world, I incorporated this lesson because students are generally aware of and interested in Hawaii, which is one of our country’s states. I will explain that in today’s lesson we will learn about myths that were created in the past to describe scientific events that people could not explain. I will encourage the students to reach the conclusion that it is better to know the science behind volcanoes because this knowledge can help to save lives. As interesting as the myths can be, they are unable to help predict eruptions and save lives.
I will say, “I decided to finish up our discussion about volcanoes with a lesson about Hawaii. Hawaii is interesting to learn about because it is made up of volcanic islands in the sea that were formed by what is called a hot spot. In today’s class, we will learn exactly what a hotspot is and how the chain of Hawaiian Islands was formed. We will then discuss and read a Hawaiian myth and practice writing our very own myths.”
To introduce this lesson I will show the students a map of the Hawaiian Islands and ask "Do you notice any pattern to these islands?" Once the students visualize the chain that these islands form I will ask "Knowing what we have already learned about volcanoes and plate tectonics, how do you think these islands may have formed?" After the class discussion on hot spots, I will then explain to students that throughout history, before science was as developed as it is now, different people (Indians, Greeks, Hawaiians, etc) created stories to help explain events and processes that they could not understand. I will explain that Hawaiians created stories (myths) to explain their volcanoes and that we will read one of these stories today.
Activities & Assignments:
25 minutes: Class discussion and notes about how Hawaii was formed and what a hot spot or "mantle plume" is. Students will look at a map of the Hawaiian islands to understand how the chain formed by moving over one hot spot. Students will determine which island(s) are active and which island(s) are inactive.
25 minutes: Read the myth of Pele found at the link below. Students will "debunk" the myth by applying what we have already learned about volcanoes.
40 minutes: Students will write their own Hawaiian myth about volcanoes. Students must take scientific concepts about volcanoes and then describe them in a fictional sense. Can finish for homework and hand in next class if they want.
7 minutes: We will fill in the what we know portion of the KWL charts that we created from the Introduction to volcanoes lesson.
Materials Needed:
Notebooks
print out copies of the myth of Pele for students to read from
Unit: Volcanoes
Topic: Hawaiian Volcanoes
Instructional Objectives:
Introduction:
To wrap up our unit on volcanoes, I created this fun lesson about the Hawaiian volcanoes. Since students enjoy learning when they feel that it applies to the outside world, I incorporated this lesson because students are generally aware of and interested in Hawaii, which is one of our country’s states. I will explain that in today’s lesson we will learn about myths that were created in the past to describe scientific events that people could not explain. I will encourage the students to reach the conclusion that it is better to know the science behind volcanoes because this knowledge can help to save lives. As interesting as the myths can be, they are unable to help predict eruptions and save lives.
I will say, “I decided to finish up our discussion about volcanoes with a lesson about Hawaii. Hawaii is interesting to learn about because it is made up of volcanic islands in the sea that were formed by what is called a hot spot. In today’s class, we will learn exactly what a hotspot is and how the chain of Hawaiian Islands was formed. We will then discuss and read a Hawaiian myth and practice writing our very own myths.”
To introduce this lesson I will show the students a map of the Hawaiian Islands and ask "Do you notice any pattern to these islands?" Once the students visualize the chain that these islands form I will ask "Knowing what we have already learned about volcanoes and plate tectonics, how do you think these islands may have formed?" After the class discussion on hot spots, I will then explain to students that throughout history, before science was as developed as it is now, different people (Indians, Greeks, Hawaiians, etc) created stories to help explain events and processes that they could not understand. I will explain that Hawaiians created stories (myths) to explain their volcanoes and that we will read one of these stories today.
Activities & Assignments:
Materials Needed:
Resources for Lesson:
Myth of Pele
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